PHNOM PENH, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia has recorded a total of 3.42 million international air passengers in the first half of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent, said an official report on Saturday.

Released by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), the report said that during the January-June period this year, most air travelers to the kingdom were from China, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan.

SSCA's Secretary of State and spokesperson Sinn Chanserey Vutha said the kingdom is forecast to handle about 7.5 million air passengers in the entirety of 2025, an expected increase of 20 percent from 6.24 million in 2024.

He was confident that the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, which was put into official use in November 2023, and the Techo International Airport, which is scheduled to open to official operation in September 2025, would help attract more international airlines and passengers to Cambodia.

"The two new international airports are capable of handling the landing of almost all kinds of aircraft from across the world, so I believe that they will be able to attract more reputable international airlines to operate direct flights to Cambodia," he told Xinhua.

The Southeast Asian country currently has three international airports in operation. They are the Phnom Penh International Airport, the Siem Reap Angkor International Airport, and the Sihanouk International Airport. ■